Here We Go, Atlanta, Another Food Hall Just Opened

The Atlanta food hall boom that began nearly a decade ago with Krog Street Market and Ponce City Market shows no signs of slowing down. And Citizens Market becomes the latest addition to a growing list of food halls with its opening today at Phipps Plaza in Buckhead.

Mood and Theory

Citizens Market features eight restaurant stalls offering everything from sushi and burgers to fried chicken sandwiches and kaarage combo meals backed by big name chefs like Dani Garcia, Masaharu Morimoto of Iron Chef fame, and Italian chef and master butcher Dario Cecchini.

A full-service, indoor-outdoor bar serves cocktails, non-alcoholic drinks, wines by the glass, and local beers from several Atlanta breweries. The bar at Citizens Market also opens up onto a new green space at the mall complex which offers patio seating stretching beyond the food hall into the courtyard.

Citizens Market is part of a major renovation project underway at the aging luxury mall in Buckhead that includes an outdoor plaza and events space, a 13-story office building, new restaurants like Alon’s Bakery and Market, and the recently opened Nobu Hotel and its famous Japanese-Peruvian restaurant.

Here’s what to know about the food stalls:

Umami Burger

Claiming to be the “most craveable burgers known to man,” Umami Burger boldly guarantees in its name that you’ll taste the fifth sense — aka umami or meaty savoriness — in every bite.

Sam’s Crispy Chicken

“Where the chicken comes first. Fried or grilled. Bold or tame. Dripping with yolk or piled high with avo,” that’s the claim from this food stall serving cornflake-crusted fried chicken and fried chicken sandwiches.

Krispy Rice

We’re not sure how one can have an “elevated sushi experience” at a food hall, but Krispy Rice offers bento boxes comprising combinations of hand rolls, nigiri, tempura, and sushi served fast.

Sa’Moto

Backed by Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto, this stall serves pan-Asian dishes like spicy chicken wontons, laksa tantan noodle soup, bao, and kaarage combo meals with choice of rice or nori fries.

Ella Mia

Every food hall needs a coffee shop, right? Ella Mia also serves bagels, pastries, sandwiches, and soups throughout the day.

Cicci Di Carne by Dario

Italian chef and master butcher Dario Cecchini’s food stall serves a variety of meaty deli sandwiches, pastas, and pizzas by the square.

El Pollo Verde

This stall from chef Dani Garci (Casa Dani) centers its menu around roast chicken sandwiches, bowls, and sandwiches drawing in flavors and ingredients from around the Mediterranean.

Soom Soom Fresh Mediterranean

Look for pitas and wraps from this LA-import stuffed with chicken shawarma, beef kebabs, hummus, and falafel.

At least eight more food halls are expected to open around Atlanta over the next two years, including The Hall at Ashford Lane in Dunwoody later this spring, Chamblee Tap and Market in historic downtown Chamblee by the end of 2023, and Switchman Hall in the Atlanta’s Peoplestown neighborhood in 2024.

Citizens Market Atlanta open daily, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Ella Mia open 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.

3480 Peachtree Road, Atlanta.